A significant proportion of present day automotive vehicles are of relatively small size and do not, therefore, have as much internal storage space as do the more conventional sized automobiles. In addition, as a result of increasing energy shortages, it is believed the proportion of smaller automotive vehicles will increase in the future and, therefore, this will give rise to an ever increasing need for means of increasing the storage capacity of the vehicle for such things as luggage, for example. There have, of course, been various approaches in the past to attaching luggage or other containers to the exterior of the automobile, the most popular of which at this time appears to be providing a frame directly mounted to the automobile roof or to the rear trunk lid and to which luggage and other items are strapped or otherwise tied or secured. These securing devices are not part of either the mounting rack or the luggage items and frequently break or otherwise become disengaged from the luggage items with obvious undesirable results. Also, of course, ropes, straps and the like do not prevent unwarranted tampering with the luggage or its theft.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,202,332, LUGGAGE CARRIER, by K. K. Walker, issued Aug. 24, 1965, describes a luggage carrier which is attached to the rear bumper of an automobile and can be swung away from the bumper and rear of the automotive vehicle when access to the trunk is desired. U.S. Pat. No. 3,907,184, ROOF-TOP CONTAINER, by James E. Zane, issued Sept. 23, 1975, concerns a container device attached to the roof of a passenger automobile by means secured to rails affixed to the top of the automotive vehicle and within which container device, luggage or the like are located thereby protecting them from both weather and theft.